Taking a step inside one of the offices at Central City Boxing this past summer – just over two miles from Springfield College – one might find Nate Peña sleeping. Beneath his rest lies a relentless drive to kickstart his boxing career.
“I’m tunnel-visioned into my goals so much that it’s hard to derail me from them. I’ve never been this focused on a certain subject,” said Peña, a junior Exercise Science major at Springfield College. “Boxing is a sport where you can control the outcome, but what you put in is what you get out.”
Months of pouring blood, sweat and tears into training have propelled Peña to the first fight of his career, set for Saturday, Dec. 7, at Bridgewater Vets Club in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. However, a year ago, the idea of boxing hadn’t crossed his mind.
Growing up in Boston, after his family emigrated from the Dominican Republic, Peña dreamed of playing basketball at a high level. He made his high school varsity team as a freshman, hoping to carry that early momentum to Springfield College.
He tried to walk on but didn’t make the team. Peña turned to fitness to stay active.
During an internship at Central City Gym last year, where he worked as a strength and conditioning coach for the kids’ program, curiosity got the better of him. After he found out about the adult boxing sessions that followed, he decided to give the sport a try.
Hundreds of workouts and sparring sessions later, Peña realized that boxing had become an ambition – and a potential profession. Watching pro fighters fueled the first-generation college student’s passion.
“I look up to a guy like Manny Pacquiao. His whole story was about coming from nothing and becoming an eight-division world champion. I was inspired every time he fought,” Peña said. “Boxing is a skill that you have to build day by day. I want to replicate the discipline and know wherever I go, I’m the hardest worker.”
Peña has a stacked and restless schedule consisting of three daily workouts. He hones in on specific skills in the morning, does cardio in the afternoon and stays at Central City for three hours at night with his teammates doing different activities.
Peña’s dedication to boxing was self-built, but convincing his mom that it was safe was another task.
Carmen, Peña’s mom, was hesitant when he started boxing. She feared the sport’s dangers, but Peña convinced her to attend one of his sparring sessions.
“It was hard to win her over at first. I told her I’m not going to get hit by this guy,” Peña said. “I wasn’t even focused on punching him like crazy. I was focused on footwork and defense, and she was impressed. I won her over that day.”
On the other hand, Peña’s dad, Yonatan, was all-in from the start, along with his four siblings. His two older sisters love telling people they have a brother who can fight, and his two brothers also give him confidence.
Boxing is a rigorous sport, with a ton of trash-talking and intense competition – a stark contrast from another group he has been part of for the last two years: New Student Orientation (NSO). The program piqued Peña’s attention the first day he got to campus, and he knew he wanted to exude that positive energy.
“[NSO] caught me off guard for sure. I thought it was good vibes, something where you can’t help but smile,” Peña said. “I’ve met some wonderful people, and it gives me something where I can breathe and relax. I can sit back, hang out with people and make jokes. I have to balance my life not just to fight all the time.”
Peña was set to make his debut last weekend, but his opponent backed out the night of the fight due to an accident. Combat sports are highly individual, and at the amateur level, there is no way to scout an opponent because there is little-to-no film on the boxers. Peña embraces that challenge.
“Over the summer, I sparred with many different styles. For my weight class (165), there are so many types of boxers,” Peña said. “You can’t anticipate what other guys will throw at you. I have to focus on breathing, go in there and adapt after the first 30 seconds.”
Peña thrives in a disciplined space, based on his passion for boxing. He is so devoted to the sport that it makes him relentless when chasing the task at hand.
Peña created a great relationship with his trainer and coach, Michael Rodriguez. Throughout Peña’s time training, Rodriguez noted big improvements in his defense and footwork.
Rodriguez also acknowledged Peña’s perseverance in the gym.
“Nate is such a hard worker,” Rodriguez said. “A lot of guys come in to just be there, but he has a goal and works hard at it.”
After Saturday, Peña will prepare for the Golden Gloves boxing tournament at Central City on Jan. 17. The gym is less than 10 minutes from campus, and Peña wants as many people as possible to show up. If Peña were to win his first match there, he’d fight well into the spring semester. Peña’s bigger aspirations stretch further than just one fight.
“I’m not just doing this for fun; I want to make this my career and do this full-time. It’s all I do outside of school,” Peña said. “I’ve made sacrifices to get where I am today, and I know it will pay off.”